It's almost like having a top draft pick every year pays off after a while. Go figure.

Can't explain the Leafs, though. There's a great disturbance in the force.

/which Canadian team's turn is it to choke late in the playoffs?

No kidding. This is the image outside my office window:

This was inevitable with the Oilers. I was just hoping it would take a bit longer though.

Will the Cup parade be led by the Four Horsemen?

Here's the thing with the Leafs. Ron Wilson is the kind of coach most people despised - quite explicitly picks favorites, and then craps on everyone who doesn't qualify until they are gone. A "bully" coach if you've ever had one of those back in the day. And his favoritist favorite is Phaneuf. Now Phaneuf is the kind of captain who never shuts up, is always pushing, demanding, driving, challenging, all the time. Some people respond to this, generally those who haven't accomplished much themselves yet. It invariably drives veterans nuts; who wants to be constantly be told what to do and how to do it by someone who frequently can't, doesn't, or didn't do it himself? It got him driven out of Calgary.

However there's no one in Toronto left to stand up to this duo. So, as long as this situation stays the same, it will work. The bully and the loudmouth running the show. But they'll never be able to add veteran presence to this group because it won't be able to stand the two of them, and so when things go south (and with a team's offense led by Kessel, it invariably will at some point), it will go south hard and be very difficult to get out of.

The Leafs will go nowhere. They've won the October Stanley Cup more times than I can count.

Oilers? Playing above their heads. When their defense falls back to its actual skill level they'll adjust back down to their true level.

Considering the Oilers' top line has 2 first-overall draft picks, this shouldn't be surprising.

/get 2 consecutive #1 picks, come out on top of conference
//you can't explain that

CanadianCommie: After every oilers game I keep hearing about how shiatty the oilers' opposition was that night.

it can't be true every night. Maybe the oilers just make other teams look bad?

They sure made LA look like bumblefarks last night. Outclassed them in their own building and practically gave khabibulin the night off.

I'm starting to believe.

The Kings are playing with no energy for the past week but the second goal last night should not have counted. The contact in the crease by the Oiler's player was very obvious (and no push from the defenseman) and was not called.

SCRIVENS

Tryfan: Oilers? Playing above their heads. When their defense falls back to its actual skill level they'll adjust back down to their true level.

The Bulin wall will fall eventually.

Tryfan: Here's the thing with the Leafs. Ron Wilson is the kind of coach most people despised - quite explicitly picks favorites, and then craps on everyone who doesn't qualify until they are gone. A "bully" coach if you've ever had one of those back in the day. And his favoritist favorite is Phaneuf. Now Phaneuf is the kind of captain who never shuts up, is always pushing, demanding, driving, challenging, all the time. Some people respond to this, generally those who haven't accomplished much themselves yet. It invariably drives veterans nuts; who wants to be constantly be told what to do and how to do it by someone who frequently can't, doesn't, or didn't do it himself? It got him driven out of Calgary.

However there's no one in Toronto left to stand up to this duo. So, as long as this situation stays the same, it will work. The bully and the loudmouth running the show. But they'll never be able to add veteran presence to this group because it won't be able to stand the two of them, and so when things go south (and with a team's offense led by Kessel, it invariably will at some point), it will go south hard and be very difficult to get out of.

The Leafs will go nowhere. They've won the October Stanley Cup more times than I can count.

Oilers? Playing above their heads. When their defense falls back to its actual skill level they'll adjust back down to their true level.

you're just jealous that leafs and oilers are doing well

i see phaneuf as a leader while you see him as a loud mouth

wilson is a farkbag tho

CanadianCommie: I'm starting to believe.

And this will be your punishment. You know, aside from the punishment of being an Oilers fan.

The-Brain: It's almost like having a top draft pick every year pays off after a while. Go figure.

Can't explain the Leafs, though. There's a great disturbance in the force.

/which Canadian team's turn is it to choke late in the playoffs?

They'll fall back to Earth shortly. No secondary scoring, bad goaltending and no depth on D. I wouldn't bet on Kessel winning the scoring title this year either.

The Oilers are 3rd in the league though, Pens have 1 more point than Oilers

Dafatone: SCRIVENS

Wooooo!

Wolf Cola: The-Brain: It's almost like having a top draft pick every year pays off after a while. Go figure.

Can't explain the Leafs, though. There's a great disturbance in the force.

/which Canadian team's turn is it to choke late in the playoffs?

They'll fall back to Earth shortly. No secondary scoring, bad goaltending and no depth on D. I wouldn't bet on Kessel winning the scoring title this year either.

no secondary scoring? our two top lines are clicking like crazy and our 3rd and 4th chip in goals as do our defense

we are like 2nd in the league for scoring.

you're either just a hater or dont know what you're talking about

CanadianCommie: ddam: The Kings are playing with no energy for the past week but the second goal last night should not have counted. The contact in the crease by the Oiler's player was very obvious (and no push from the defenseman) and was not called.

newflash; blown calls happen. They happen to every team and they happen in pretty much every game. In that same game hall's stick was cleaved in half on the PP, and no call happened.

That's not why the kings lost.

When a goal is scored and it can be reviewed it should be, that's my point. It's a stupid rule if you can review if a attacker is in the crease if he touches the puck but you can't review if an attacker setting a screen makes contact in the crease.

However, if you don't call contact with goalies constantly you pretty much send a message that it's OK to make runs on goalies and I'm sure that you can agree that's not good for anyone.

Didn't we go through this shiat with Pittsburgh in baseball? If it's still like this in February, then yeah, lose your shiat.

Kessel +10, Lupul +10, Phaneuf +8, KOMISAREK +8, Liles +6, Macarthur +6, Grabovski +6, Gunnarson +5

How can Leafs be criticized putting up those plus numbers?

Cheesus: Didn't we go through this shiat with Pittsburgh in baseball? If it's still like this in February, then yeah, lose your shiat.

Thudfark: ontariolightning: Wolf Cola: The-Brain: It's almost like having a top draft pick every year pays off after a while. Go figure.

Can't explain the Leafs, though. There's a great disturbance in the force.

/which Canadian team's turn is it to choke late in the playoffs?

They'll fall back to Earth shortly. No secondary scoring, bad goaltending and no depth on D. I wouldn't bet on Kessel winning the scoring title this year either.

no secondary scoring? our two top lines are clicking like crazy and our 3rd and 4th chip in goals as do our defense

we are like 2nd in the league for scoring.

you're either just a hater or dont know what you're talking about

Go with a bit of both. These same dimwits saying we had no scoring last year apart from Kessel. Kulemin needs one soon though. It'd be nice to see Colborne up to see if he can pull a Crabb.

Hoping Kulemin gets going, need him to score against Boston

Mr_Ectomy: Rev. K - Too bad the Flames are stinking up the joint, the battle of Alberta is supposed to mean something. Did you guys decide that Vancouver is your big rival now because the Oilers sucked? Maybe our big rival should be the Wild. now.

Dood, your team has sucked eyond suck for a half a decade. they play 10 games and suddenly they're awesome?

Just to make it clear... Oilers suck more than a modified sucking machine that sucks other peoples suck.

ontariolightning: Wolf Cola: The-Brain: It's almost like having a top draft pick every year pays off after a while. Go figure.

Can't explain the Leafs, though. There's a great disturbance in the force.

/which Canadian team's turn is it to choke late in the playoffs?

They'll fall back to Earth shortly. No secondary scoring, bad goaltending and no depth on D. I wouldn't bet on Kessel winning the scoring title this year either.

no secondary scoring? our two top lines are clicking like crazy and our 3rd and 4th chip in goals as do our defense

we are like 2nd in the league for scoring.

you're either just a hater or dont know what you're talking about

Once Tim "Mr. Glass" Connolly gets hurt again and Kessel goes cold, as he's bound to do, you'll see. Bottom 6 is thinner than Kate Moss.

ontariolightning: Kessel +10, Lupul +10, Phaneuf +8, KOMISAREK +8, Liles +6, Macarthur +6, Grabovski +6, Gunnarson +5

How can Leafs be criticized putting up those plus numbers?

There's the problem.

/haters gonna hate and all that

As an Isles fan, seeing the Oil come together so quickly makes me a sad panda.

Although just being an Islander fan in general will do that

CanadianCommie: ontariolightning: How can Leafs be criticized putting up those plus numbers?

the biggest problems I see with the leafs are the league-worst PK% and being bottom-5 in GAA. Those numbers need to be better because there are going to be games where they won't be able to overwhelm other teams with their offence.


On the flipside The oilers were having difficulty scoring, but have recently started climbing out of the GFA basement and are currently at 2.25. That number still needs to be better to help out the defence and the goaltending in the long-term.

This road trip will help determine how good the oilers reall are though, if the oilers get out of november with a better then .500 record for the month then they're in a fantastic position for the rest of the year, barring an epic collapse.

Agree with the brutal PK and the GAA, hope Scrivens plays more games instead of Gusty even though hes been playing good enough to win, hope reimer doesn't come back until hes absolutely ready

its a good thing the leafs are one of the best teams 5 on 5 ...scoring wise that is
we'd be where blue jackets are if we weren't

Shhh... Nobody has said anything about the Bruins sucking up the crumbs in the bottom of the east yet..

GOD DAMNIT!

Versteeg seems to have found his game with Philly

Dallas is winning their division too--the only team in it that didn't make the playoffs last year. Apparently that Richards guy was a real albatross.

CanadianCommie: After every oilers game I keep hearing about how shiatty the oilers' opposition was that night.

it can't be true every night. Maybe the oilers just make other teams look bad?

They sure made LA look like bumblefarks last night. Outclassed them in their own building and practically gave khabibulin the night off.

I'm starting to believe.

The Leafs are getting that too. But its tue for the Leafs and Oilers because every team they play now is below them in the standings.

Suck it haters!

Chicago could knock Leafs out of 1st if they beat Tampa Bay tonight

will be watching that game closely

ontariolightning: Versteeg seems to have found his game with Philly Florida

FTFY

Wolf Cola: ontariolightning: Wolf Cola: The-Brain: It's almost like having a top draft pick every year pays off after a while. Go figure.

Can't explain the Leafs, though. There's a great disturbance in the force.

/which Canadian team's turn is it to choke late in the playoffs?

They'll fall back to Earth shortly. No secondary scoring, bad goaltending and no depth on D. I wouldn't bet on Kessel winning the scoring title this year either.

no secondary scoring? our two top lines are clicking like crazy and our 3rd and 4th chip in goals as do our defense

we are like 2nd in the league for scoring.

you're either just a hater or dont know what you're talking about

Once Tim "Mr. Glass" Connolly gets hurt again and Kessel goes cold, as he's bound to do, you'll see. Bottom 6 is thinner than Kate Moss.

Just keep telling yourself that.

Sirjohnfalstaff: ontariolightning: Versteeg seems to have found his game with Philly Florida

FTFY

sorry, I meant florida

Oh, and remember when the red wings could score goals? Those were good times. Good times....

Jubeebee: ontariolightning: Wolf Cola: The-Brain: It's almost like having a top draft pick every year pays off after a while. Go figure.

Can't explain the Leafs, though. There's a great disturbance in the force.

/which Canadian team's turn is it to choke late in the playoffs?

They'll fall back to Earth shortly. No secondary scoring, bad goaltending and no depth on D. I wouldn't bet on Kessel winning the scoring title this year either.

no secondary scoring? our two top lines are clicking like crazy and our 3rd and 4th chip in goals as do our defense


Since this is relevant to what I just said, I ran some quick numbers for you.

32 of 45 Leafs goals come from 5 guys. That's 71% of their offense from their top guys.
23 of 40 Blackhawks goals come from 5 guys. That's 58% of their offense from their top guys.

The Leafs are top heavy right now. It's working out really well for them at the moment, so don't get all defensive. But they don't have a whole lot of secondary scoring.

for any successful team your top guys have to be putting up numbers, i see nothing wrong with getting 29% of scoring players coming from role players..